# Japan Forum > All Things Japanese >  Where does Japan stand in the world economically and politically nowadays ?

## Maciamo

*Politics*

*Democracy, freedom of press, corruption*

The World Audit on corruption, democracy and freedom of press in 2005, ranks Japan 21st in terms of political corruption, behind all Western countries (+ Singapore & Mongolia), except Portugal, Italy and Greece. 

Japan is ranked 30th for democracy, before Greece, Singapore and Mongolia, but after Portugal, Italy, and even Uruguay, Costa Rica and Mauritius.

Regarding freedom of press, Japan ranks 25th, just ahead of some Eastern European countries, but well behind all (other) Western countries.

Thw World Audit has classified Japan in division 2 in terms of democracy, along with South Korea, South Africa, Latvia, Bulgaria, Greece and Panama. All Western countries apart from Greece are in division 1.

*Economy*

*Public debt*

The CIA Factbook's public debt ranking shows that Japan's current public debt was 154.60% of its GDP, the third highest figure in the world after Malawi and Lebanon. Among Western countries, the highest figures are for Italy (106.40%), Belgium (102%) and Greece (100.90%), while all other Western countries stand between 18.20% for Australia and 77% for Canada. The UK's public debt is 51%, while the USA, Spain, Germany and France's are between 62 and 69%. 

*GNI/GDP per capita*

As the data for the GDP or GNI per capita sometimes vary from one source to another, I chose the two most reliable sources I know for a comparison, the CIA Worldfact Book and World Bank (pdf file).

The CIA ranks Japan 17th worldwide in terms of GDP/capita ($28,200), while the World Bank ranks it 7th in GNI/capita ($34,510) and also 17th for GNI/capita at PPP* ($28,620). Both data are for 2003.

Of course, many of the countries outranking Japan are tiny (Cayman, Bermuda, San Marino, Luxembourg, Lichstenstein, Channel Isalnds...). Among major countries, the USA, Switzerland and Norway outrank Japan in all 3 lists.

In the two lists where Japan ranks 17th, the following countries also have a higher GDP per capita than Japan : Denmark, Iceland, Austria, Canada, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The UK, France, Germany and Italy come just after Japan, with almost the same figure.

*purchasing power parity

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## Maciamo

I found out today that Japan only ranked 18th for GDP (PPP) per capita per hour. In other words, Japanese work too long hours compared to what they earn, which is not surprising. What is interesting is that France ranks 3rd, although its GDP per capita is slightly lower than Japan's. This means that French people work much shorter, but earn over 50% more than the Japanese for the same time spent at work.

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## caster51

> Public debt
> 
> The CIA Factbook's public debt ranking shows that Japan's current public debt was 154.60% of its GDP, the third highest figure in the world after Malawi and Lebanon. Among Western countries, the highest figures are for Italy (106.40%), Belgium (102%) and Greece (100.90%), while all other Western countries stand between 18.20% for Australia and 77% for Canada. The UK's public debt is 51%, while the USA, Spain, Germany and France's are between 62 and 69%


june26th 2006
Ministry of Finance of japan anounced that japan's debt became $8trillion in 2005.
it is debt that is $60,000/preson in japan(GDP $5trillion, 156%debt/GDP)
it seems a big bloblem for japanese bacause it is so much debt.
everybody said " japan is going to ruin"
however japan is still getting better condition 
in USA GDP $13 trillion, debt is 830 billionin a year
6.4% debt/GDP in a year.
it means it takes 15 years until 100%

If I compare with USA, japanese debt is too big.
and everybody is worry about that.

However in case of japan , all creditor of japan's debt is the japanese citizen.
there is no foreign creditor at all.
50% crediter of USA's debt is foreigner.

the japanese ppl's financial asset is $13 trillion.
it means a limit of japan's debt is $13 trillion.
that is ,japan's debt is still little

An increase in the debt of the United States is limited to an increase in the 
rating to another country. 
that is , incresing of net worth(total assets) in a year 
american net worth is incersing $3 trillion in a year since 1955
so i can say 830 billionin is little.

recentry ,0 interest rates was ended.
japan's interest payment is increased.
japanese citizen can get more interest payment
incresing of USA's debt means increasing of japan's net worth because japan is creditor of USA
Japan also has increased net worth several times the increase rate of the debt of the country every year. 
even now japanese citizen is richest in the world.
If the debt of the country of japan becomes $13 trillion, the people in 
Japan monopolize money in the world. 
Inside and outside net worth of Japan will become threats in the world. 

the truth is.......
As for the child in Japan, it can be a property person of 6.48 million yen 
(creditor) at the same time as giving birth.

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## Maciamo

> j
> However in case of japan , all creditor of japan's debt is the japanese citizen.
> there is no foreign creditor at all.
> 50% crediter of USA's debt is foreigner.
> the japanese ppl's financial asset is $13 trillion.
> it means a limit of japan's debt is $13 trillion.
> that is ,japan's debt is still little


According to the CIA World Factbook, Japan has the 6th biggest foreign debt in the world, totalling $ 1,545,000,000,000. The Japan Statistical Bureau gives a similar amount : 175,472 billion yen of external debt for the latest data. No foreign creditor at all ? Such negationism can only come from a nationalist.

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## caster51

> No foreign creditor at all ?


The Japanese has most of the government bond of Japan. 
it is called an isolation of the government bond.... :Okashii:  
do you konow why interest rate of japanese national bond is always lower than USA's or others
that is , japan provides money to the world
even usa is manegerd by japanese money....

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## Maciamo

You are now talking about bonds, not external debt !

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## Han Chan

> I found out today that Japan only ranked 18th for GDP (PPP) per capita per hour. In other words, Japanese work too long hours compared to what they earn, which is not surprising. What is interesting is that France ranks 3rd, although its GDP per capita is slightly lower than Japan's. This means that French people work much shorter, but earn over 50% more than the Japanese for the same time spent at work.


This is very interesting. 

Actually I understand that many in Japan do not even register some of their overtime. People do not register some of the overtime either because they feel under pressuere not to do so or because they feel embarrased that they need so long time to do their job. So maybe the japanese actually work more hours than the figure which have been used for this calculation. 

I think that the fact that working overtime is so common among "salary men" is a very significant problem leading to low productivity. Nobody is as efficient when working the 12th hour as compared to the 1st or even the 8th hour. I order to get more value for each hour worked, I think that women in general need to work more and men less.

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## caster51

> bonds, not external debt !


Why does a nation issue government bonds?
The purpose is to borrow money.,...... debt 
Does the foreigner buy the government bond of interest almost 0?
Does the foreigner lend money with interest 0?

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## warakawa

i dont know much about economics but, looking at the figures here, Japan isnt really the place to work/live right?

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## JerseyBoy

I also noticed a typical salary in Japan is not that great. I have been outside Japan since my college days. So, my work experiences have been outside Japan. 

Typically, Japanese employers set up the salary level based on the age. So, if they put me in that typical age bracket, I have to be 60 years before I reach at what I am at now with a foreign-based corporation in Japan. It is amazing how screwed up Japan's salary scale is set up. Some of foreign based companies have started following suite what Japanese companies are doing. 

Fortunately, I did not get into that rut because I chose the pure-bred USA company doing business in Japan which base my earnings based on my education, experience, and future potentials.

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## Glenski

> This is very interesting. 
> Actually I understand that many in Japan do not even register some of their overtime. People do not register some of the overtime either because they feel under pressuere not to do so or because they feel embarrased that they need so long time to do their job. So maybe the japanese actually work more hours than the figure which have been used for this calculation. 
> I think that the fact that working overtime is so common among "salary men" is a very significant problem leading to low productivity. Nobody is as efficient when working the 12th hour as compared to the 1st or even the 8th hour. I order to get more value for each hour worked, I think that women in general need to work more and men less.


Very true in both paragraphs.

Many Japanese sararimen stay after 5pm just because the boss does. They don't want to look embarrassed by leaving "early", even if the boss just wants to stay away from his wife by sitting in his office. Lots of sararimen just sit there trying to look as if they are working; they aren't really getting things done. And, then there are the many hours spent after the office hours in bars sucking up to clients and closing deals. Come home at 1am or 3am, then get up at 5am to start all over again. Lost efficiency indeed!

Jersey Boy wrote: 


> I also noticed a typical salary in Japan is not that great. I have been outside Japan since my college days. So, my work experiences have been outside Japan. 
> 
> Typically, Japanese employers set up the salary level based on the age. So, if they put me in that typical age bracket, I have to be 60 years before I reach at what I am at now with a foreign-based corporation in Japan. It is amazing how screwed up Japan's salary scale is set up. Some of foreign based companies have started following suite what Japanese companies are doing.


The age-only basis for salaries is slowly changing into one that is more performance-based. Granted, Japan as a long way to go on that, but it does seem to be changing.

As for low salaries, please recall that many people live with their families until they are into their 30s, so living expenses are not so great on them. Lots of freeters and baito workers have ditches the lifetime employment regime (which is crumbling anyway) in order to pursue more hedonistic things -- Gucci bags, overseas vacations, expensive clothes, etc.

Oh, and just to keep on track with the title of this thread, don't believe for a moment any figures cited by the government for its debt. The numbers are very likely to be skewed low. Statistics in Japan are used very cleverly to keep the image (of anything being described) as positive as possible, even debt.

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## centrajapan

US is not any more democratic than Japan. Its less.

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